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Vol.  II  DECEMBER,  1916  No.  I 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NORTH  DAKOTA 

DEPARTMENTAL  BULLETINS 

THE  SANITARY  PRIVY 


THE  PUBLIC  HEALTH  LABORATORY 


Published  Bi-Monthly  by  the  University:  North  Dakota 

Application  Made  for  Entry  at  University,  North  Dakota,  as  Second  Class  Matter 
Under  Act  of  Congress  of  August  24,  1912 


NORTH  DAKOTA  STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH 


Henry  J.  Linde,  Bismarck 
A.  M.  Call,  M.D.,  Rugby, 

C.  J.  McGurren,  M.D.,  Devils  Lake, 


President 
Vice  President 
Secretary 


THE  STATE  PUBLIC  HEALTH  LABORATORIES 

University  Bismarck 

Fargo  Minot 


STAFF 

John  W.  Cox,  M.D.,  Acting  Director 

(Pathology,  Serology  and  Hematology) 

W.  W.  Hanford,  M.S. 

(Water  Supplies  and  Sewage  Disposal) 

C.  R.  Newell,  M.S. 

(Rural  Sanitation) 

G.  E.  Richardson,  B.A.,  Bacteriologist 

A.  Larson,  M.S.,  Bacteriologist 

B.  C.  Ford,  Assistant  in  Bacteriology 
E.  J.  Johnson,  Assistant  in  Pathology 
O.  Furu,  Technician 


UNIVERSITY  OF  NORTH  DAKOTA 

DEPARTMENTAL  BULLETINS 

Public  Health  December,  1916  No.  10 


FOREWORD 

The  citizens  of  North  Dakota  are  indebted  to  the 
State  Department  of  Health  of  Minnesota  for  the  subject 
matter  and  cuts  in  this  bulletin. 

A privy  of  the  type  described  is  not  recommended  for 
use  in  congested  districts  where  sewerage  systems  are  avail- 
able. All  municipalities  should  be  provided  with  sewerage 
systems  for  removing  household  wastes  by  the  water  car- 
riage system.  It  is  strictly  against  the  policy  of  the  North 
Dakota  health  authorities  to  advise  the  use  of  these  privies 
under  such  conditions.  The  privy  here  described  is  in- 
tended for  use  in  rural  districts,  and  for  temporary  use  in 
thinly  populated  sections  of  a village  until  a sewerage  sys- 
tem is  extended  to  that  district. 


THE  SANITARY  PRIVY 


CHAPTER  I 

The  sanitary  privy  may  be  defined  as  a place  for  the 
disposal  of  human  excreta  in  such  a manner  that  it  will 
not  in  any  way  become  a factor  in  the  transmission  of  dis- 
ease, or  endanger  the  health  of  the  community  in  which  it 
is  located. 

Many  diseases  may  be  transmitted  from  sick  to  well 
persons  by  means  of  these  waste  materials  from  the  intes- 
tines and  kidneys.  The  two  diseases  known  to  be  most 
frequently  transmitted  by  this  means  are  typhoid  fever  and 
dysentery.  These  diseases  are  caused  by  minute  microscopic 
forms  of  life  which  inhabit  the  intestines  and  sometimes  are 
found  in  the  urine  of  infected  persons.  If  the  feces  and 
urine  from  these  persons  are  not  properly  cared  for  during 
the  period  of  infection  with  these  organisms,  they  may  be 
the  cause  af  transmitting  these  diseases  to  other  individuals. 

Unfortunately,  the  organisms  producing  these  diseases 
do  not  always  leave  the  patient  with  the  disappearance  of 
the  symptoms.  They  may  remain  in  the  bodies  of  conva- 
lescents and  be  discharged  with  the  feces  and  urine  for  some 
time  following  an  apparent  recovery.  Such  persons  are 
known  as  carriers  from  the  fact  that  they  actually  carry 
the  organisms  producing  these  diseases  for  varying  lengths 
of  time  following  an  infection.  These  apparently  well  per- 
sons often  constitute  the  most  dangerous  class  of  individuals 
connected  with  the  transmission  of  disease.  During  serious 
illness,  persons  are  usually  confined  to  their  beds,  conse- 
quently their  contact  with  the  outside  world  is  very  limited, 
but  the  convalescent  persons  and  the  carriers  are  different 
in  their  habits.  They  wander  about  from  place  to  place, 
they  are  difficult  to  control,  and  consequently  are  liable  to 
scatter  disease. 

The  following  statement  briefly  illustrates  the  common 
route  of  transmission  of  these  intestinal  diseases  from  the 
sick  to  the  well  person.  Excreta  which  have  been  voided 


by  a patient,  convalescent,  or  carrier  may  come  in  contact 
with  fingers,  flies,  water,  or  food,  and  through  these  media 
be  carried  to  the  mouth  of  a well  person.  Thus  it  is  seen 
that  the  disease  organisms  leave  the  body  of  the  infected 
person  with  the  excreta  and  may  be  carried  to  a well  person. 

Privies  have  long  been  used  as  the  places  of  disposal 
of  human  excreta  by  the  dry  method,  that  is,  where  no  water 
carriage  system  is  available.  The  water  carriage  system 
for  the  disposal  of  excreta  and  sewage  consists  of  a collect- 
ing system  and,  wherever  necessary,  a treatment  plant.  This 
is  a more  convenient  and  comfortable  method  of  disposing 
of  human  excreta  than  the  dry  method,  but  in  many  cases 
the  owner  cannot  afford  to  make  such  an  installation  and  a 
privy  must  be  used. 

Before  it  was  discovered  that  diseases  were  transmitted 
by  improperly  caring  for  human  excreta,  privies  were  used 
only  for  the  purpose  of  privacy  and  protection.  It  is  now 
universally  recognized  that  a privy  should  be  designed  to 
serve  two  purposes. 

(1)  To  provide  a safe  receptacle  in  which  to  deposit 

human  excreta. 

(2)  To  insure  privacy  and  comfort  for  the  occupant. 

The  privy  which  does  not  provide  a safe  receptacle  for 
human  excreta  may  be  a factor  in  the  spread  of  disease. 

A privy  may  be  improperly  constructed  or  operated, 
so  that  it  will  admit  hogs,  chickens,  dogs,  or  other  animals, 
which  might  feed  upon  the  material  mixed  with  the  excreta, 
as  shown  in  Figure  I.  Later,  persons  may  handle  the  ani- 
mals and  incidentally  get  some  of  the  excreta  on  their  hands. 
Afterward  these  persons  may  unconsciously  put  their  fingers 
to  their  lips,  or  eat  a meal  without  thoroughly  washing  their 
hands.  This  provides  a direct  means  of  transmitting  disease 
organisms  to  the  mouth  of  a well  person. 

Lack  of  protection  against  flies,  due  to  improper  con- 
struction of  the  privy,  probably  provides  the  greatest  danger. 
Flies  are  attracted  to  human  excreta,  as  this  constitutes  one 
of  their  many  sources  of  food.  They  swarm  over  the  ex- 
posed excreta  and  feed  upon  the  material,  and  carry  away 
small  quantities  on  their  legs  and  bodies,  leaving  a portion 
of  it  wherever  they  may  light.  Flies  are  attracted  by  odors; 


(<l ' 7t 

n h j,  

FIG.  I 

therefore,  when  a meal  is  being  prepared,  they  swarm  around 
the  kitchen  and  it  is  very  difficult  to  keep  them  out.  They 
crawl  over  the  food  which  is  exposed  about  the  room,  and 
if  they  have  had  access  to  a privy  which  is  not  fly-proof,  it 
can  be  readily  understood  how  they  may  contaminate  the 
food.  A privy  which  permits  such  a condition  is  shown  in 
figure  II. 

A privy  may  be  so  constructed  as  to  require  frequent 
handling  of  its  contents.  Privies  that  are  constructed  with 
permanent  vaults  require  cleaning.  During  the  process  of 
cleaning,  the  excreta  are  usuallv  shoveled  from  the  vault 
into  a wagon  or  wheelbarrow,  and  later  deposited  on  the 
surface  of  the  ground  in  some  place  where  the  material 
can  be  used  to  fertilize  the  soil.  During  this  process,  the 
excreta  adhere  to  the  shovel  and  the  wagon,  and  sometimes 
get  on  the  hands  of  the  workmen.  Sometimes  excreta  are 
scattered  accidentally  on  the  ground  at  the  rear  of  the  privy, 


or  from  the  wagon  during  transit  to  its  destination.  Human 
excreta  are  believed  by  many  people  to  make  excellent  fer- 
tilizer, hence  such  material  is  highly  prized  by  certain  gar- 
deners and  farmers.  Not  infrequently  the  place  of  disposal 
is  the  garden,  probably  the  radish  or  lettuce  patch.  If 
these  vegetables  are  about  ready  to  be  gathered  for  the  table, 
it  is  easily  seen  how  the  cycle  of  disease  transmission  is  com- 
pleted. The  garden  or  field  may  be  near  a residence,  and 
flies  might  carry  this  material  into  the  house.  Therefore, 
the  cleaning  of  privies  is  a dangerous  practice  unless  extreme 
precaution  is  taken  to  prevent  the  exposure  of  the  excreta. 


A priv.y  may  be  so  located  as  to  endanger  tne  safety  of 
a water  supply.  It  may  be  located  at  an  elevation  above 
the  water  supply,  with  the  surface  drainage  in  the  direction 
of  the  supply.  It  may  be  located  below  the  high  water  level 
of  the  area  on  which  it  is  situated,  which  would  permit  flood- 
ing of  the  privy  pit  with  surface  water.  This  would  pro- 
vide a means  of  conveying  a portion  of  the  excreta  from 
the  pit  and  scattering  it  about  on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
In  this  way,  the  excreta  might  be  carried  to  a water  supply, 


or  be  exposed  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  as  shown  in 
Figure  II.  There  is  a possibility  in  certain  regions  for  a 
water  supply  to  become  polluted  from  a privy  by  under- 
ground channels  in  the  rock  formations.  This  possibility 
is  very  remote  under  conditions  as  they  are  found  in  North 
Dakota,  and  especially  where  the  water  supply  and  privy 
are  properly  located  and  constructed. 

Figure  II  illustrates  general  unsanitary  conditions  about 
a farm.  The  privy  is  located  too  near  to  the  house  and  is 
improperly  constructed,  so  that  flies  and  animals  have  access 
to  the  excreta.  The  flies  are  shown  feeding  on  the  excreta 


FIG.  Ill 


in  the  privy  and  then  carrying  this  material  into  the  house 
and  depositing  it  on  the  food  which  is  being  prepared  in 
the  kitchen.  They  are  infesting  the  milk  house  and  afford- 
ing an  opportunity  for  infection  of  the  milk.  They  are 
swarming  about  the  child  and  crawling  over  the  food  which 
he  is  eating.  The  house  and  milk  house  are  not  screened, 
hence  the  flies  have  easy  access  when  the  windows  and  doors 
are  open.  An  improperly  constructed  well  is  located  near 
the  privy,  and  there  is  ample  opportunity  for  water  to  flow 
from  the  privy  vault  into  the  well  over  the  surface  of  the 


ground.  Proper  drainage  is  not  provided,  and  surface  water 
collects  at  the  rear  of  the  house  between  the  privy,  well, 
and  milk  house,  and  in  the  stagnant  pond  shown  at  the 
right  of  the  picture.  The  pond  provides  an  excellent  breed- 
ing place  for  mosquitoes,  which  are  very  undesirable.  The 
rain  water  tub  also  furnishes  a good  breeding  place  for 
mosquitoes,  in  case  it  is  not  emptied  at  frequent  intervals. 

Figure  III  shows  the  unsanitary  conditions  indicated 
in  Figure  II  corrected.  It  should  be  noted  that  privy  and 
well  are  properly  located  and  constructed.  The  house  and 
milk  house  are  screened  to  keep  out  flies.  Good  drainage 
has  been  provided  which  will  carry  away  surface  water  and 
will  not  allow  it  to  collect  in  pools  around  the  privy,  well, 
or  farm  buildings. 

In  order  to  obtain  and  maintain  a sanitary  privy,  three 
important  points  must  be  given  consideration,  namely,  loca- 
tion, construction,  and  operation.  A privy  which  meets 
these  requirements  is  shown  in  Figure  III. 

( 1 ) The  location  of  the  privy  must  be  such  that  it 
will  not  endanger  any  water  supply  in  this  vicinity.  It 
must  be  located  at  an  elevation  which  will  prevent  flooding 
of  the  pit  with  the  surface  water,  and  still  not  drain  in  the 
direction  of  a water  supply. 

(2)  The  construction  of  the  privy  must  be  such  that 
the  excreta  are  absolutely  protected  against  contact  with 
persons,  animals,  or  flies,  and  flooding  with  surface  water. 
The  building  should  afford  protection  and  comfort,  and 
should  be  designed  so  that  it  can  be  easily  kept  clean.  The 
details  of  a properly  constructed  privy  are  found  in  Chapter 
II. 

( 3 ) The  operation  of  a privy  includes  keeping  it  clean 
and  in  good  repair.  The  details  of  operation  are  given  in 
Chapter  III. 


CHAPTER  II 


It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  to  lay  down  any 
fixed  rules  as  to  the  dimensions  of  the  privy,  or  to  specify 
the  materials  of  construction.  The  purpose  is  to  show  the 
principles  which  should  be  followed  in  order  to  construct  a 
sanitary  privy.  The  few  dimensions  shown  on  the  plans 
may  be  followed,  but  it  is  obvious  that  these  can  be  varied 
considerably. 

The  privy  described  is  of  the  movable  type.  The  build- 
ing will  be  moved  when  the  vault  is  filled,  as  described  in 
Chapter  III.  In  order  that  the  building  may  be  moved 
without  racking  or  twisting  it  out  of  shape,  it  must  be  pro- 


vided with  a stiff  underframe.  Figure  IV  shows  the  under- 
frame constructed  with  this  end  in  view.  The  two  side 
logs  or  runners  should  be  approximately  8 feet  in  length 
and  8 inches  in  diameter.  Since  these  two  logs  will  be  the 
part  of  the  building  closest  to  the  ground,  and  consequently 
the  portion  most  subject  to  rot,  they  should  be  of  some 
wood,  such  as  cedar,  which  will  resist  decay.  The  bark 
should  be  entirely  peeled  from  the  side  log,  and  the  logs 
and  the  cross  framing  should  be  thoroughly  creosoted  before 
being  put  together.  The  cross  pieces  should  be  mortised 
into  the  side  logs  and  securely  fastened  with  lag  screws  or 


FIG.  VI 


large  spikes.  In  order  to  keep  the  runners  or  side  logs  from 
direct  contact  with  the  ground  and  reduce  decay,  they  should 
rest  on  planks  slightly  embedded  in  the  earth.  These  planks 
will  rot  out  in  a few  years,  and  should  be  replaced  whenever 
the  privy  is  moved. 

The  next  step  after  assembling  the  underframe  is  to 
erect  the  studding  and  place  the  rafters.  Fig.  V shows 
the  frame  work  completed,  and  ready  for  the  siding,  roof, 
and  floor.  No  instructions  are  necessary  regarding  the  con- 


FIG.  VII 


struction  of  the  upper  portion  of  the  building,  which  is  not 
different  from  any  frame  structure.  Cross  sectional  views 
of  the  building  are  shown  by  Figure  VI.  Figures  VII  and 
VIII  show  perspectives  of  the  completed  building,  with  a 
portion  of  the  walls  cut  away  to  show  views  of  the  interior. 
Figure  IX  shows  a perspective  of  the  exterior  of  the  build- 
ing as  completed.  As  shown  in  Figures  VII  and  VIII,  the 
seat  is  divided  into  two  parts,  one  portion  to  be  used  as  a 
closet  seat  for  adults,  and  the  other  for  children.  The 


children’s  seat  is  constructed  so  that  it  can  be  raised  and 
used  as  a urinal  or  as  a place  to  dispose  of  feces  or  urine 
collected  at  the  house.  A step  is  provided  in  front  of  the 
children’  seat  which  is  approximately  8 inches  in  height,  as 
shown  by  Figure  VIII.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  seats  and 
the  urinal  are  provided  with  covers.  These  covers  should 
be  constructed  so  that  they  will  immediately  fall  into  place 
after  use,  and  prevent  the  entrance  of  flies  to  the  vault. 


The  top  of  the  seat  should  be  about  i foot  5 inches  above 
the  floor.  The  hole  in  the  seat  for  adults  should  be  approxi- 
mately 10  inches  long  and  7^4  inches  wide;  that  for  chil- 
dren should  be  7 inches  long  and  6 inches  wide,  and  the 
front  margin  of  the  hole  should  be  about  3 inches  from  the 
front  edge  of  the  seat. 

A window  should  be  provided,  and  if  made  to  open,  it 
should  be  covered  with  screen  to  keep  out  flies,  as  shown  in 
figure  VII.  A screen  of  copper  wire  is  advised,  as  it  will 
last  much  longer  than  an  iron  screen.  The  door  may  be 


paneled  or  solid,  but  it  should  be  strong  and  durable,  and 
made  to  fit  well  so  as  to  keep  out  flies.  The  door  should 
have  spring  hinges,  or  a weight  and  pulley  attacnment,  to 
keep  it  closed  at  all  times. 

The  vault  or  pit  should  be  as  long  as  the  width  of  the 
privy  between  the  inside  of  the  runners,  about  3 feet  6 
inches.  It  should  be  about  3 feet  in  width,  and  approxi- 
mately 3 feet  to  4 feet  in  depth,  depending  upon  the  ground 


FIG.  IX 


water  level  of  the  soil.  To  prevent  the  earth  from  caving 
into  the  vault,  the  sides  should  be  lined  with  boards,  as 
shown  in  Figure  VII.  These  boards  should  project  about  4 
inches  above  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

The  exterior  of  the  building  should  receive  two  coats 
of  good  paint.  This  will  improve  the  appearance  as  well  as 
protect  the  wood  from  decay. 

Earth,  preferably  sand,  should  be  banked  up  a few 
inches  against  the  lower  boards  on  the  front  and  rear  of  the 
privy  to  prevent  flies  from  gaining  access  at  these  points. 


CHAPTER  III 


As  before  stated,  one  of  the  chief  functions  of  the  sani- 
tary privy  is  to  provide  a safe  receptacle  in  which  to  deposit 
human  excreta.  It  is  obvious  that  the  vault  or  pit  will 
become  filled  as  the  privy  is  used.  When  the  time  arrives, 
it  will  be  necessary  either  to  clean  the  old  vault  or  to  con- 
struct a new  one  and  move  the  privy.  The  dangers  of 
handling  human  excreta  are  stated  in  Chapter  I.  The 
cleaning  of  an  old  vault  is  a very  disagreeable  operation. 
The  safest,  and  usually  the  easiest  course,  is  to  dig  a new 
pit,  move  the  privy  over  it,  and  then  fill  in  the  old  pit.  A 


fig.  x 


convenient  method  of  moving  the  privy  is  shown  by  Figure 

X. 

On  account  of  the  board  lining  of  the  privy  extending 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
remove  the  lower  boards  between  the  runners,  both  the  front 
and  rear,  before  the  building  can  be  moved. 

It  is  advisable  to  place  kerosene  oil  or  dry  straw  in  the 
pit  and  burn  off  the  side  boards  at  the  surface  before  filling 
in  the  earth.  By  this  method,  any  handling  of  the  excreta 
or  exposure  of  the  material  to  flies  will  be  obviated. 

The  portions  of  the  privy  in  contact  with  the  ground 
are  the  parts  most  liable  to  decay.  The  lower  front  and 


rear  boards  between  the  runners  can  easily  be  replaced.  The 
log  runners  are  more  difficult  to  replace,  therefore  they 
should  be  protected  against  decay  by  creosoting  and  by  pro- 
viding planks  bn  which  they  may  rest,  thus  keeping  them 
from  direct  contact  with  the  ground. 

If  the  earth  banked  against  the  front  and  rear  lower 
boards  is  washed  away,  this  should  be  replaced  immediately, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  flies  and  small  animals. 

The  privy  should  be  kept  clean  at  all  times.  The  floor 
and  seat  should  be  washed  thoroughly  at  regular  intervals. 


FREE  BULLETINS  FOR  CITIZENS 

1.  State  Public  Health  Laboratory, 

History,  Instructions  and  Fee  Table. 

2.  Circular  of  Information  for  persons  suffering  from 

Consumption. 

3.  Pure  Water  and  How  to  Obtain  It. 

4.  Sporotrichosis  in  North  Dakota. 

5.  Facts  about  Rabies. 

6.  The  Production  and  Care  of  Milk  for  Infant  Feeding. 

7.  Facts  about  Cancer. 

8.  The  Extermination  of  Flies. 

9.  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  State  Public  Health  Labora- 

tories. 

10.  The  Sanitary  Privy. 

11.  Your  Baby  and  How  to  Keep  it  Well. 

12.  The  Next  Step  towards  Efficiency  in  Public  Health. 


